Timing
by Simply Cynical
Summary: On hiatus until further notice.
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Timing

CHARACTERS: Lorelai, Luke, Rory, Dean, Ect. Oh, and my fictitious character Alyssa.

SETTING: Mid season 4, Think: "Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!"

**Chapter One**

Lorelai is asleep in her bed when her alarm goes off. She shuts it off, and a second later; several others start going off around her bedroom. "You are hilarious!" she calls before getting up and walking down to the kitchen clad in a pink nightie.

As she stumbles down the stairs she calls "Okay, see, last night, when I said to you, 'Tomorrow, no matter what, make sure I get up at seven,' what I actually meant was, 'Tomorrow, no matter what, make sure I have the option of getting up at seven in case when seven comes, I actually wanna get up,' which – as it happened – I didn't." She smiles as she walks into he kitchen where Luke is making an awesome breakfast. "Therefore, you're currently responsible for the great alarm clock slaughter of 2002."

"No survivors?" he asks as she pulls the coffee out of the freezer.

"The one shaped like a bunny escaped with a mild decapitation." She smells the coffee and accuses " This is decaf."

"What are you talking about?" Luke says, playing innocent.

"You switched my coffee again," she says, searching for the real coffee.

Luke sighs, "I'm a busy man. I don't have time to sneak around switching your coffee. I have a diner to run, I have shipments to order, I have things to flip and fry. Will you stop that?" he asks as she rummages around near the sink.

"Ha, haha, hahaha! Under the sink, very clever, but not clever enough bucko." She crows opening the bag and walking over to the coffee maker.

"Okay, fine, you know what? I give up."

"Woo hoo!" Lorelai smiles, turning the machine on.

"Go one day without coffee."

"That's not giving up."

"I'll put a toy in your cereal," he tries again.

"Dirty!" Lorelai says around a wide playful smile.

"Fine, here, you win," he says with a sigh and eye-roll as he hands her a plate.

"Thank you," she says sweetly.

"You're welcome. Now you're up, you're fed, I'm leaving."

"Oh, hey, we need q-tips," she says from the table.

Luke grabs the keys, "I'll alert the media."

"See, that's better with the accent."

"The reference is enough, you'll learn that one day. I'll be home early, anything besides the q-tips?"

"Um, cotton balls, world peace, Connie Chung's original face back…" Lorelai ticks of before Luke kisses her, possibly just to shut her up.

"Goodbye crazy lady," he says to Lorelai after the break apart, and the places his hand on her belly. "Goodbye Sid and Nancy."

"Leopold and Loeb."

"What?" Luke asks as he pulls back slightly.

"I changed my mind, don't tell Rory." Lorelai pleads.

"Decaf."

"Never."

"They'll both have two heads."

"More to love." Luke kisses her again.

Lorelai wakes up in her room, and blinks in the morning sun as she lunges for the phone. "Whoa! Ugh!" she says, falling out of bed.

She blinks again and dials Rory's dorm at Yale.

"Hello?" Rory asks, her voice coated in sleep.

"Good morning."

A voice murmurs in the background. "Who is it?"

Rory covers the mouth piece but Lorelai hears her say, "It's my mom, go back to sleep Paris."

"Oh, did I wake Paris up? Is she going to kill me now?"

"You woke _me_ up, too, you know."

"Nice avoidance there."

"I learned from the best, so you called me because…?"

"Again."

"No way!"

"Oh yes, I feel like Bill Murray!"

"Bill Murray?"

"Groundhog's Day?"

"Oh, right, continue."

"I mean it was exactly the same as always!" Lorelai sighed.

"When was the last time before this, because it's been a while since you called-"

"The last time I had it was when I spent the night at Jason's. I felt so guilty! I mean…" she sighed again.

"Mom, you've got to talk about this to someone else."

"Who? I can't tell Sookie, she'll freak, and probably tell Jackson."

"Tell Luke,"

"I already did."

FLASHBACK

"Oh, whoa! Total déjà vu." Lorelai says from where she lays on Luke's bed.

"Really?" he asks from the couch.

"It's the alarm clock." Lorelai began, regretting her choice to mention the dream, but was too far in to back out now. "I had a dream once that you set eighteen alarm clocks to get me up, which is not a bad way to get me up."

"Where were we?"

"We were, um, at my house. I got up, I went downstairs for coffee, and you talked to my stomach." _Bad, bad decision,_ Lorelai thought.

Luke was genuinely confused, "Why on earth I do that?"

"Well, because I was pregnant. Twins." _Danger Will Robinson, danger!_

"Mine?"

Lorelai was slightly insulted. "What am I, dream tramp? Of course yours."

"We were married?"

"Um, yeah. Did I not mention that?"

"No," he paused, "You know, you shouldn't drink coffee when you're pregnant. "

Lorelai smirked at the ceiling, "Uh, true."

"It's probably why Rory's a caffeine addict," Luke said, still propped up on his elbow.

"Right, you're right."

"Dream go beyond that?"

"No. Um, you talked to my stomach and then you ki. . .well, no." _Gone far enough, don't you think?_

"Oh, okay," Luke sounded slightly disappointed. "Well. . .night."

"Yeah, night."

END FLASHBACK

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Where did you just go?

"What? Nowhere, I'm right here."

"Well, answer my question then."

"Uh, what question?"

"When did you tell Luke?" Rory was annoyed, and rightly so.

"Uh… When the Inn caught fire."

"WHAT! How could you not tell me that you told him?"

"I don't-"

"And you've been having this dream since then?"

"Uh…"

"Mo-om!"

"Yes, fine, Rory, yes I have! Now, analyze!"

Rory groaned, "It's the same analyzation that it has bee every other time you ask me to analyze it!"

"But I don't want to get married to Luke and have his kids!"

There was a long pause. "Rory? Are you there? Say something, hon!"

"You didn't say you didn't love him."

Lorelai froze, speechless for the first time in a long time. "Well, I, uh…"

CUT TO: LUKE'S APARTMENT, KITCHEN

Luke leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, glaring at the small slip of paper in front of him on his kitchen table.

"Oh, please," he muttered, "How hard is it to throw away a single sheet of paper?"

And yet… He didn't move, couldn't actually force himself to crumple the faded newsprint in front of him.

"LUKE!" Caesar called from down stairs causing Luke to jump up guiltily.

"We need you down here, Luke!"

"Aw, geez," Luke said, running his hand through his hair and the pulling on his baseball cap again. He looked at the horoscope on the table and then clomped downstairs to help wit the breakfast rush.

As he closed the door behind him a small gust of wind knocked the scrap off the table, and onto the floor.

CUT TO: LUKE'S DINER, OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

Lorelai drew in a ragged breath, and pulled her low ponytail over her left shoulder. "Coffee, to go… That's it, that's all, that's not so hard…" Lorelai shook her head, _oh-no, not to hard. Impossible._

She pulled open the door, the din hiding the sound of the bell, and walked to the counter. "Luke?"

He walked out of the kitchen and put some plates down at a crowded table. "Be right with ya." He walked around to the back of the counter and stood in front of her, "What can I get you?"

"Coffee, to go."

"Alright, I just made some, so it should be fresh," Lorelai smiled, to caught up in James Dean-ing it that she didn't notice Luke bumbling on making random pointless conversation.

He snapped a lid on and asked, "So, I'll see you tonight?"

Lorelai stood, her shocking blue eyes meeting his, "Maybe after Friday Night Dinner."

"Oh… Right…" Lorelai smiled and walked out. _Crap! Tonight was dinner with Jason and **his parents**! _She shook her head as she crossed the street trying to block out the small voice in the back of her mind telling her that it wasn't too late to break up with Jason.

She looked over her shoulder. No, Luke would wait. He would be there, he would always be there, he promised he would.

CUT TO: LUKE'S DINER, AFTER LUNCH LULL

"Sure, Caesar, take ten." Luke said over his shoulder. A moment later the bell rang and a leggy brunet walked in. "Uh, What can I get you?"

She walked to the counter, and laid her glass green eyes on his, "Coffee?"

"Here? Or to-go?"

She looked around, "Here… Here seems nice."'

Luke smiled to himself as he spun for the _crap_ empty coffee pot. "Actually, I have to make some more, but you're welcome to wait. I'm, uh, I'm Luke, by the way."

She smiled and reached out to shake his hand. "I'm Allysa, and I'd love to wait, provided –of course- that you keep me company."

His gut told him it was a good idea to smile, and take her up on her offer for a chat, and who was he to disagree with his tried and true gut feeling?


	2. Chapter 2

TITLE: Timing

CHARACTERS: Lorelai, Luke, Rory, Dean, Ect. Oh, and my fictitious character Alyssa.

SETTING: Mid season 4, Think: "Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!"

**Chapter Two**

Lorelai woke out of her drunken stupor with a guilty shake-y feeling. As she ran her hands over the soft silk sheets of Jason's guest room and remembered her latest Late Night Luke Dream the guilty gnawing feeling increased tri-fold.

DREAM SEQUENCE

Lorelai stood under the hot pulsing shower in Luke's bathroom. She hummed to herself as she started to wash her hair.

All of a sudden the curtain around the tub slipped open and a cool burst of air rushed in. "What the?" she cried out, and the feeling Luke's strong arms wrap around her, leaned back into him with a moan.

Luke murmured a sigh and ran his hands along Lorelai's arms seductively. Lorelai acted on pure instinct and rolled around in his arms, capturing his lips in a deep and inviting kiss.

Luke quickly pulled it into the next level and soon the sound of their heavy panting over powered the sound of the shower.

END DREAM SEQUENCE

Luke woke up and rolled over looking at his alarm clock. It was two a.m. Much to early to even pretend to start getting ready for the day. Luke lay with his eyes closed for a moment, feeling the after effect of the dream.

He looked at the bathroom thinking that a cold shower might be the only solution, but being in that bathroom right now was not worth the risk. He knew that he would see Lorelai's passion lidded eyes and her desiring smirk as he attempted to rid him self of his not so minor difficulty.

CUT TO: JASON'S TOWNHOUSE, MORNING

Lorelai walked down the stairs rubbing her eyes in a want to get rid of the pounding hangover plaguing her mind.

"Good morning," Jason said without even looking up from his cooking.

"Ah -ah -ah!" Lorelai moaned, gesturing at him to shut up.

"What?"

"Stop with- Loud. Argh! How do you not have a hang over?"

"Aspirin and water?"

Lorelai groaned and rested her head on her crossed arms as she sank into a stool at the breakfast bar.

"Aspirin is for children, go get me a taco?"

"A taco?"

"Yes, a taco. Please? It's the only thing that helps."

Jason shrugged, "Alright, I guess. Be here when I get back."

"Ooo! And get me a burrito, too!"

Jason grabbed his keys and left. Lorelai waited a moment before she flipped open her cell phone and called Rory.

"Hello?"

"Rory? Oh, thank god. Help!"

"Mom, what? Help with what?"

"Jason, help me with Jason!"

"What about Jason?"

"I faked a hangover to get him out of the apartment!" Lorelai burst out.

"You _what_?"

"I need your help!"

"With what?"

"I need to break up with him. NOW."

"Why? What happened that is so pressing that it just can't wait any longer? What happened after I left?"

"Well, my parents found out that Jason and I are dating-"

"Ah."

"'Ah'? What 'ah'? No 'ah'!"

"Yes, 'ah'! They found out about you two so you don't want him any more. Isn't that right?"

"No!"

"Then what happened?"

"Look, Jason is a great guy, _But_…"

"But, But what?"

"I… I had another dream about Luke last night."

"The recurring alarm-clock one?"

"Uh, no."

"Oh… Dirty?"

"No, and when you turn twenty-one I'll tell you the real answer."

"Mom, just having a dream about Luke doesn't necessary mean that you think anything more about him…"

"Oh, but I do."

"You do? You do what? More? More Luke?"

"More Luke." Lorelai agreed.

"How much more Luke?"

"I… I think…"

"Do you _love_ him?"

CUT TO: LUKE'S DINER, MID MORNING

"Caesar, that tuna melt goes to the table in the corner. I'm heading out, be back in around ten minutes."

"Okay."

Luke wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and walked out of the diner making a beeline for Andrew's bookstore.

He walked past all the home repair books and pulled all the love self help books he could find off of the shelf.

Andrew looked up as he walked over, "Did you find what you need?"

"Oh, yeah. Fine." Luke couldn't keep the nervousness out of his voice as he first spoke. Andrew looked at him funny and then reached for the books. "What are you doing?"

"I have to ring them up."

"I'll just tell you the prices." Luke looked at the first book. "This one is $24.99."

"That high?"

"They're your prices."

"Can I just see the book?"

"I'm reading you the book. It says right here…" Luke trailed off as he looked at the price again. "Oh, wait -- that's the Canadian price. $14.99."

"Will you just let me scan the book?"

"When you scan the book, do you see the title?"

"Yes."

"Then no."

"Luke, come on. What do you got there, porn?"

"You sell porn?"

"No!"

"You think I brought my own porn in here to buy?"

"I don't know what you're doing. I just need to scan the books."

Luke hands Andrew a bill, "This should cover it."

Andrew looks at it, shocked. "A hundred bucks? That's way too much."

"Take it." Luke starts to leave, but the he walks back. "Bag."

He quickly walks back out into the "crowd" milling around the square. When he gets back in the diner, almost empty now, he calls, "Hey Caesar, something came up. I need you to cover for me for a while."

"Okay." Caesar called back, leaning on the counter.

"Thanks," Luke said, and walked up to his apartment, dumping the audio books out on to the table.

After a moment of listening he pulls out the workbook, uncaps the pen and mutters, "It doesn't get lower than this"

CUT TO: LORELAI AND JASON IN A COFFEE HOUSE

"So," Lorelai said, no longer worrying about breaking up with Jason. "I spent all morning on the phone calling every hotel in the area with a decent high tea, and there she was. Grafton Hotel, room 421. Check-out date indefinite."

Jason fiddled with his mug, "I'm sorry."

"I can't believe my parents are separated. I mean, I dreamed about this as a kid. Of course, my scenario also involved my mother finding her inner Timothy Leary and moving us all out to a commune in Berkeley, but still... I was convinced that these people should not be together, but you know what? I was wrong. Richard and Emily Gilmore were made for each other. God, this is so...freaky. And I'm not supposed to know, and of course we won't talk about it, because we don't do that in our family. We repress everything, and we refuse to go to therapy, because why tell a stranger your problems, when you can use them to punish those around you? So, what now? Every Friday I'm supposed to pretend that they still live together, and then after we leave, my mother will get in her car and drive back to the hotel? The hotel. My mother's living in a hotel. It's weird. It's just incredibly weird." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I just needed to vent."

"You have every right."

"I'm done now. There's nothing I can do about them, so..." She sighed again. "Talk to me. You were gonna tell me something."

"I'm suing your father." Lorelai scoffs softly. "I have to, Lorelai."

"No, you don't."

"I've gone over it. I've weighed every option. I have to respond. I cannot just sit here and do nothing when my entire career is going up in flames."

"Jason, please. Don't do this."

"Maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe he'll settle," Jason didn't sound too hopeful.

"He won't settle."

"It's just business."

Maybe she would break up with him after all. "Oh, my God. I'm so sick of hearing people say that."

"You know I wouldn't do this if I didn't have to."

"You don't have to."

"If I intend to continue working in my chosen profession, then, yeah, I have to." _Was he always this condescending?_ Lorelai wondered.

"Don't be just a business guy. Put this on another level. Please."

"I can't."

"Unbelievable."

"Lorelai... I have no choice. I have to fight back."

"Jason..."

"I will keep you out of this. I promise."

_Oh, yeah. Definitely breaking up now. At least this is an excuse._

"I can't be with someone who's suing my family."

"Lorelai, come on."

"I'm sorry.

"You saw what your father did to me."

"I know what he did to you."

"And he is not gonna stop until there's nothing left."

"I'm asking you not to do this."

"Ask me something else. Anything else."

"This is what I want."

"You know how hard I work. My job is who I am. I can't lose everything. You have to understand why I'm doing this."

"I do understand. But I can't be with someone who's suing my family," she stands up, gripping her purse in one hand.

"Lorelai..."

But Lorelai walked out without looking back.

CUT TO: IN FRONT OF LUKE'S DINER

Luke is listening to a tape when Liz runs up and knocks on his window. "Jeez. Hold on." Luke quickly stops the tape and gets out. "What are you doing here?"

"Look how happy he is to see me," Liz said to T.J.

"I just didn't expect it, that's all."

"Oh, my brother. You remember T.J., right?"

T.J. held his arms open. "I'm still here."

"How you doin', T.J.?"

"How am I doing? Huh. Lizzie, I don't know. How am I doing?"

"He's doing great! 'Cause we're getting married."

"Married? Really?"

"And we're doing it right here next week."

"Wow, that's fast."

CUT TO: LUKE'S DINER LATER THAT NIGHT

"You have to bring a date! You can't come to my wedding stag."

"Why not, Liz?" Luke asked rhetorically. "I'll bet Jess is."

"Hey, leave me outta this."

"Come on, Luke! There is a beautiful brunet that I'd love to see there… Come on, bring her. Bring _someone_."

"Fine. I'll bring someone." Just then the door opened. "Just the person I wanted to see," Luke said, sanding up. "Will you come to my sisters wedding with me?"


	3. Chapter 3

TITLE: Timing

CHARACTERS: Lorelai, Luke, Rory, Dean, Ect. Oh, and my fictitious character Alyssa.

SETTING: Mid season 4, Think: "Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!"

**Chapter Three**

"Oh, my god, Liz! You're getting married?" Lorelai's jaw dropped.

"Yep, T.J. and I are tying the knot next weekend!"

"That's so great!" Lorelai hugged Liz warmly.

"Yeah, I think so!"

"Who's going to be there?" she asked, but before Liz could answer Jess walked up and asked if she wanted any coffee. "Uh… No thanks…"

"Well, Luke got Jess to come, and he's going to walk me down the aisle."

"Oh, well, that's nice. I'd love to see that so-- Sure." Lorelai nodded to Luke. "A blue berry muffin sounds great."

"Lorelai, _you_ should come."

Lorelai grabbed her bag of muffins and her to go coffee that Luke set in front of her. "I don't know, I mean, I don't want to impose."

"Aw, no! You won't be in the way; I'd love to have you. And I'm sure T.J. wouldn't mind. Come on, it'll be fun."

"Well, alright. If you insist."

Liz nodded, "Oh, I do!"

"Alright. I guess I'll see you then."

CUT TO: THE DRAGON FLY INN

"I'm telling you, Ror, it was weird. Luke had this, I don't know, _grin_ I guess, the whole time I was there."

"Maybe he was just happy to see you?"

Lorelai walked in to the hall, waving at Dean as she did, "Maybe, but I somehow doubt it… I… Do you think I missed my chance?"

"I don't think so, I mean he waited this long, right? Okay, I have to go."

"Why? Mommy needs you!"

"The paper needs me more, and besides, I'll bet Sookie's right there to help out-"

"But I haven't told Sookie yet."

"Well, this gives you the perfect excuse, now doesn't it?"

"But-"

"Bye."

"Bye." Lorelai snapped her phone shut and said, "Mean."

"Who's mean?" Dean asked.

"Huh? Oh, I needed to talk to Rory and she was mean and had some paper stuff to do." She shook her hair back. "I mean it's a miracle that we can even catch each other on the phone, but I still need her, you know?"

"Well, I know I'm not Rory, but I'm here if you need me." Lorelai smiled at Dean's sweetness. "Hey," he said, "What're shoulders for?"

"Well, that's a very understanding shoulder you've got there. I might take you up on that."

Dean smiled, but before he could say anything, Tom called Lorelai over. "Lorelai?"

"Yeah, Tom?" she asked as she walked over, leaving Dean in the hall.

CUT TO: LUKE'S APARTMENT, KITCHEN

"Where the hell is it?" Luke asked rhetorically as he methodically began to tear the kitchen apart looking for a small scrap of newsprint.

"LUKE!" Caesar called, "CUSTOMERS!"

"I THINK YOU CAN HANDLE IT!" Luke shouted back.

"FINE!"

"Don't get an attitude with me," Luke muttered. "I'm the one who pays you."

After a few more moments of vain searching he felt something under the sink.

"Yes," he muttered as he pulled a single horoscope from an almost certain death. He rocked back on to his knees and ankles and decided that he just couldn't get rid of it. He stood up and shook his head.

He walked back down stairs to help Caesar only after he carefully pinned the horoscope to the fridge under a strong magnet.

CUT TO: LUKE'S DINER

Alyssa sat down at the counter her sable hair curtaining her face. Luke stopped short when he came down the stairs, pulled in a deep breath and stepped foreword, a smile on his face. "Hey, I didn't know you were coming in."

She looked up with a soft smile, "Yeah, I need some coffee."

"Oh, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just… The job hunt isn't going to well."

"Oh… Hey, Patty?"

"Yes, Luke?"

"Do you know of any available jobs?"

"For who?"

Luke pointed to Alyssa and her bright red face. "Alyssa just moved here, so she needs a job."

"Oh, well. What are you looking for, doll?"

"Uh…" Alyssa's face turned an even brighter red. "Anything that has potential I guess."

"Hmm… Well, ok, I know the beauty shop if hiring, lots of room for growth there, but I'll keep my ear to the ground and let Luke know if anything else comes up, how's that?"

"Thanks! I really appreciate that."

"No problem," Patty winked and headed out the door, "Hey, Babette-" But the door cut off whatever Patty asked Babette.

Alyssa smiled more warmly and swung back around on her stool, "Thanks a lot."

Luke shrugged, "It really is no big deal."

"Huh, small town charity is great." She shook her head, "I should have moved here _ages_ ago!"

Luke looked up from checking his receipts, "Why didn't you? Or, why did you now. Or…"_ Open mouth, insert foot._

"Well, a friend of mine from ages ago - use to write and send pictures almost daily- moved here… And by the time I got out on my own we had lost communication… I guess I didn't feel comfortable coming out here then. Besides, I still had a few years of craziness left in me."

Luke smirked, "Oh, yeah. How's that working out for you?"

Alyssa faked a pout, "I miss it!"

Luke chuckled and refilled her cup. "Who's your friend, I might know…?"

"Her. She's a she."

"Well, ok then. I might know her."

"Uh, her name is…" Alyssa trailed off as the door opened.

CUT TO: LORELAI'S JEEP, INSIDE VIEW

"Holy crap," Lorelai muttered and stopped short as the longest red light on the face of the planet turned red.

"Ugh!" she groaned and rested her head on the steering wheel.

After a few moments of silence she turned on the radio, the song Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper) came piping through the speakers and she danced around like a moron as she san along.

"The phone rings in the middle of the night/My father yells what you gonna do with your life/Oh daddy dear you know you're still number one/But girls they want to have fun/Oh girls just want to have--" she broke off as she put the petal to the twelve mile an hour metal and turned toward Sookie's.

"That's all they really want/Some fun/When the working day is done/Girls--" Lorelai swung onto Sookie's street. "They want to have fun/Oh, girls just want to have fun!"

She listened for a few more minutes and then slid out of the car. "Sook? You here?"

Lorelai knocked on the door. "Lorelai? What're you--"

"Next weekend!"

"What?"

"We can do the test run next weekend!"

Sookie clapped and giggled. "No way!"

"Yeah!" They grabbed each other, squealed, and jumped up and down. "Do you want to help me make up a guest list?"

"Sure," Sookie stepped aside and let Lorelai into her house.

"Ok, Rory and I need a room. And then there's you and Jackson, right?"

CUT TO: LUKE'S DINER, NIGHT

"Coffee-coffee-coffee"

Luke barely looked up as Lorelai stumbled in and started screaming about coffee. "Tired?"

"Oh, yeah. Long day."

"Hmm? Why?"

"Well, we're getting ready for the test run, the weekend after this- Hey, you should come."

"Uh, no."

"Why not?"

"Because you should save the spot for an investor."

"You _are_ an investor."

"No, I'm not. I just lent you money."

"Exactly. That's what investors do."

"Well, I…"

"Great," she said grabbing her coffee. "I'll save you a room. And hey, do we have to dress up for Liz's wedding?"

"You don't have to dress fruity."

"Hmm… I think I will."

"That's fine too. Do, uh, do you want to meet here?"

Lorelai started glowing; it was almost as if she swallowed a 5000 watt lit light bulb. "I'd love too."


	4. Chapter 4

TITLE: Timing

CHARACTERS: Lorelai, Luke, Rory, Dean, Ect. Oh, and my fictitious character Alyssa.

SETTING: Mid season 4, Think: "Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!"

DISCLAIMER: I -sadly- own nothing but the… Nothing actually… It's not even my story idea (You can thank Ronata for that)… Wow… That's just pathetic…

**Chapter Four**

Lorelai pulled on a sweater on top of her dress and flipped open her phone, speed dialing Rory.

"Hey, you've reached Rory. Talk please."

"Hey, Ror. It's me," Lorelai broke off and looked at herself in the mirror. "I'm heading to Liz's wedding now, and I just thought I'd check in before I did. I guess I missed you, though. Ah… Call me later? Alright, bye!"

Lorelai tossed her phone on the bed and inhaled deeply. "Tonight," she said. "I'll tell him tonight." She looked in the mirror and saw how pale and nervous she was, and then said, "Maybe… Tomorrow's good, too."

CUT TO: IN FRONT OF LUKE'S DINER

Luke waited nervously for his date to arrive, and he fidgeted with his suit for a moment.

Lorelai skipped up to him and said, "Greetings, my lord. Your lady hath arrived to be escorted forthwith."

Luke smiled, "That's pretty good. I didn't know you spoke Renaissance."

"Oh, yeah. I'm quite fluent in Renaissance. You look nice." Lorelai reached out and touched his tie, "I'm lovin' the tie."

Luke's smiled widened, and he looked her over, "Thanks. You look beautiful."

Lorelai's smile softened, "Flattery will get you everywhere, my friend. Shall we?"

"Actually, --" Luke broke off as pigeon poop landed on is shoulder's. "I have to go up and change, do you want to meet me there?"

"Nah, that's Okay, I'll wait if you want?"

"Sure, come on."

CUT TO: LUKE'S APARTMENT

"I'll, uh, just be a second," Luke said as he started to take the jacket off while he headed into the bathroom.

"It's no problem," Lorelai called over her shoulder for the umpteenth time, and walked into Luke's kitchen. She heard some water running in the bathroom and figured he was probably washing it off before it could leave a stain of sorts.

She sighed and looked around Luke's kitchen, something catching her eye. She cocked her head to the side, and as if in a dream she stood and walked trance-like over to the fridge.

Her heart stopped as she realized what it was. "No… It… It's not possible…" she reached out with hesitant fingers. Slowly and unsurely she reached across the empty space to the magnet. Holding the magnet in her left hand, she caught the scrap of newsprint in her right hand.

Hope created a thick lump in her throat as she read what it said: "_Scorpio: You will meet an annoying woman today. Give her coffee and she will go away._"

FLASHBACK

Lorelai looked around at the front of the diner, and barely pausing for a breath she pushed the door open, screeching, "Coffee-Coffee-Coffee!" while doing a little dance.

The man in a scruffy blue backwards baseball cap turned toward her, rolled her eyes, and went back to helping his current customer, "Those eggs were sunny side up?"

"Please!" she said, interrupting him when she walked over. "Coffee! Pleeeeeeease!"

"I'll be right with you," he said through clenched teeth and turned back to his customer, "Yeah, I'll have that for you in just a few minuets." He ignored Lorelai's pleas and started to walk toward the counter.

"No, you don't seem to understand, Mr. Backwards-Baseball-Cap Man! I need coffee, it is pretty and magical and if I don't din k it I may not be able to stand or talk or walk or breath or sing and dance along with the Bangles or watch Willy Wonka with my daughter tonight or-" when Lorelai finally stopped for a breath, Luke interrupted.

"Luke, not 'Mr. Backwards-Baseball-Cap Man'. Now, stop following me."

Lorelai paused, "Or drive or-"

"Sit down and shut up! I'll get to you when I get to you!"

Lorelai continued to follow him. "See, you still don't seem to get that I'm not kidding. Me without coffee… It's bad, I mean really bad. I'm talking Apocalypse now, baby!" Luke groaned, but she continued to follow him. "Ooo, I know! What's your birthday?"

"I'm not telling you that."

"See, if you tell me your birthday, I'll give you a present. "

"I'm not telling you my birthday," he growled as he leaned across the counter.

"Uh, please! I need coffee or your birthday and if you think that I'll go away before I have one of those, you are sorely mistaken, sir. And I think-"

"Fine!" he cried, and told her his birthday.

"And that would make you a…" Lorelai trailed off and flipped through her paper, a pen in hand. Quickly she wrote down the first thing that came to mind, ripped it out, and handed it to him.

Luke read the scrap of paper, barely held back a smirk, and poured her a cup of coffee.

"Thanks," she smiled and held the coffee to her lips inhaling the deep scent. Luke held the slip of paper in his hand and was about to throw it away when Lorelai swallowed and said, "Hey. (Luke looked at her.) Keep that in your wallet, someday it'll bring you good luck."

Luke stared at her a moment later and pulled out his wallet, probably to keep her shut up, and then put it back in his jeans.

END FLASHBACK

"Well, man," Lorelai muttered, "I will say anything for a cup of coffee."

"What did you say?" Luke asked, coming out of the bathroom.

"Nothing," Lorelai said, clasping paper and magnet behind her back guiltily.

"Why are you standing so weird?" Luke asked when he looked up from adjusting his cuffs.

Luckily the phone rang before she had to answer, and as he turned around to answer it, Lorelai hastened to stick it back on the fridge.

She heaved a sigh of relief and leaned back against the fridge. "Who was that?" she asked when he turned around after hanging up.

"Hmm? That? Uh, no one."

Lorelai's brow crinkled in confusion, but she let it slide knowing that all would be explained in time.

CUT TO: TOWN SQUARE, NIGHT. LIZ'S WEDDING RECEPTION

"Sure, I'd love another glass of punch, Luke." Lorelai smiled until Luke walked away.

_Christ_, she thought, _I'm never going to work up the nerve to tell him, am I?_

Luke walked back up a moment later, and whatever ground she had been making in the fight to tell Luke that she loved him, and probably had for at least five years, was knocked right out of her head. Damn, she smiled, and he sat next to her.

"Liz and T.J. wouldst enjoy others to join them in their modest wriggles," Kirk said over the PA system.

"Oh, hey, so your food's probably cold. You want to go get some more?"

"Sure, or we can...you know," Luke gestured to the dance floor.

Lorelai's heart stopped. "We can...do what?"

"You want to dance?"

"Really?" No way!

"Yeah."

"Um," Lorelai still couldn't believe it. "You said before you don't dance."

"Well, I'm a compulsive liar."

"Um, okay, yeah, let's dance." What could go wrong now she thought as they walked over to the dance floor and joined the other dancing couples. Lorelai couldn't even keep the smile off her face as Luke led her in a slow waltz.

When the song was over, she was reluctant to release him, but she pulled back and looked up at him.

"You can waltz…" She studied his face, and realized that he was looking over her shoulder. "What," she asked and then turned around.

The wind was knocked out of her. _Alyssa_.

FLASHBACK

Lorelai grabbed her mail from her inn mailbox and walked back out to the potting shed. Yay! There _was _a letter from her best friend!

Lorelai checked to make sure that Rory was asleep then she hungrily pulled the envelope open.

"_Lorelai_," it read.

"_We all still miss you hear! It's wicked boring without you doll!_

"_Ok, I can't do it anymore… I can't lie to you any more…_

"_Remember how I told you that Chris moved on? And how I said that I didn't know the girl?_

"_Well, I lied. Chris asked me not to tell, but I just I have to…_

"**_Chris and I are dating now._**" Lorelai dropped the sheet, her vision blurred with unshed tears. It wasn't the fact that Alyssa was dating him; it was more the fact that they hadn't told her. And that hurt. A lot.

Lorelai stifled her tears and looked at Rory, and then folded the letter into its envelope to keep forever as a memory with the others.

She never finished reading it, and she never read or replied to the other letters she or Chris sent.

END FLASHBACK

Luke looked at them both. "You know each other."

"Oh, yeah." Lorelai said sarcastically. "Great history."


	5. Chapter 5

TITLE: Timing

CHARACTERS: Lorelai, Luke, Rory, Dean, Ect. Oh, and my fictitious character Alyssa.

SETTING: Mid season 4, think: "Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom!"

DISCLAIMER: I -sadly- own nothing but the… Nothing actually… It's not even my story idea (You can thank Ronata for that)… Wow… That's just pathetic…

DEDICATION: The idea comer upper wither: Ronata!

**Chapter Five**

Lorelai stepped foreword, Luke's hand falling off the small of her back as she did. "Why are you here?"

Alyssa's jaw dropped, "Oh, god, Lorelai! I didn't know you were still here!"

Lorelai shook her head and turned to Luke, "How do you know her?"

"She…" Luke was blushing, guilt written all over his face. "She's my date."

"Oh, god," Lorelai whimpered, and put her hands over her face. "I hope you two have fun," she said and ran off the dance floor.

"Lorelai!" both Luke and Alyssa called in unison, but Lorelai just kept running.

Lorelai ran all the way home, and only after she collapsed on her bed -still fully dressed- did she feel the stitch in her side, and noticed that she had broken one of the heels off her sandal.

CUT TO: CRAP SHACK, THE NEXT MORNING

"Mom?" Rory called out to the silent house. "Mo-om, I know you're here, your Jeep is in the drive…" She craned her neck as she stood at the bottom of the stairs, and upon hearing her mother called, "Mom? Are you okay?"

When Lorelai didn't answer she ran upstairs to her mother's bedroom.

"Oh, god, _Mom_…" Rory said, her heart almost aching as she saw Lorelai's tear-streaked face, and sat down next to her.

"He promised, Rory, he _promised_!"

"Who promised, mom?" Rory asked, wiping Lorelai's hair off her face.

"Luke… Wh- When Max and I were going to get married… He promised he would be here… That he would always be here… But he's not! He's with _her_!" Lorelai stopped, crying too hard to speak.

"Her who?"

"_Alyssa_."

Rory's spine stiffened as she remembered how Alyssa had betrayed Lorelai's trust and friendship. "It's okay," she whispered, stroking her mother's hair, "It's going to be okay…"

CUT TO: LUKE'S DINER, NIGHT

Luke looked up, startled at the door slammed open. "We're closed..." He trailed off as he saw Rory standing in the doorway, fire burning in her eyes.

"Why her? Of all the people in this town you could hurt, why did you hurt my mother?"

"I didn't mean too, I-"

"Well, of course you didn't mean to. If you meant to you would have done something even worse. Funny, I can't think of anything worse for you to do!"

"But I didn't _know_-"

"You want to know something Luke? Do you? The reason my mom is so hurt by this is that this is the _second_ time that Alyssa stole someone she loved from her!"

"Wha- WHAT?" Luke's jaw dropped, _loved?_

"Oh, yeah," Rory said, crossing her arms over her chest in anger. "Mom loved my dad, Alyssa took him. My mom _finally_ realizes she's in love with you just in time for Alyssa to take you, too."

"Alyssa doesn't _have_ me-"

"Yes- she does! You went to the wedding with _her_ as your date, not my mom; which by the way is pretty shady, especially given the fact that you met up with my mom before the wedding!"

"But I didn't know-"

"Well, that sounds pretty convenient!"

"Rory-"

"I am so tempted to tell you to go to hell, but I know one day I'll regret it!" With that, Rory stormed back out of the diner, slamming the door so hard it crashed open again.

Luke stood watching the quaking door for at least five minutes before he moved. "She said… '_Hell'_," he muttered to himself. "I never heard her say 'hell'. I didn't even know she knew how to say 'hell'." Luke shut the door, sounding even more flustered. "She was mad and she yelled and she said 'hell'."

CUT TO: THE DRAGONFLY INN (A WORK IN PROGRESS), NIGHT

"I just got so mad…" Rory shook her head.

"That's pretty understandable," Dean said, rubbing her shoulder as she leaned against him.

"Not for me, no way," she sighed, waiting a pause. "Maybe I should apologize… Not for what I said, more of how I said it-"

"No."

"But-"

"_No._"

Rory looked up at Dean and smiled, snuggling g back up against him, "I knew that there was a good reason for us to be friends again."

CUT TO: CRAP SHACK, MORNING

Lorelai woke up the next morning to find Rory blinking down at her, "You slept."

"I guess."

"Feeling better?"

"Sure."

"No you're not."

Lorelai sighed, she was pitying herself enough and she certainly didn't need Rory's help. "You should get back to Yale."

Rory shook her head, "Uh-uh."

"Rory, you can't just stay here."

"Sorry. I'm here for the duration."

She didn't sound very sorry, "No."

"You need supplies."

"I'm fine."

"There's no sign that you've eaten or had anything to drink."

Lorelai hooked her hair behind her ears, "Well, I'm not hungry or thirsty."

"Well, if you're staying up here you need supplies. Sustenance. Entertainment."

"Well…"

"See, you're a little thirsty, aren't you," she didn't even pretend to make it sound like a question, Lorelai noted.

"A little."

"What can I get you? Water? Bourbon?"

"Water is good."

"What'cha got food-wise?"

Lorelai shook her head, "Not much."

"What's not much?"

"Like, nothing. Some moldy bread. I've been eating out mostly."

"Okay, I'm going on a run."

"I'm not hungry."

"I'll get you some DVD's, too," Rory stood up, smoothing her clothes. "Do you want magazines?"

"No."

"I'll get you some magazines," Rory stood in the doorway, "You sure you don't want bourbon?"

Lorelai shook her head again, "Honey, you have stuff to do."

"This is my stuff. I'll be back in a flash." And then Rory left leaving Lorelai to her own devices. "It's so nice to be heard," Lorelai thought sarcastically as she slid back down in the bed.

CUT TO: CRAP SHACK, THE NEXT EVENING

"Look, you should go."

"No!"

"Yale's going to get mad."

"Yale's not going to get mad."

"Rory, I'm glad you came, but look how fine I am. I'm surrounded by everything I could possibly need. I even have raw cookie dough, for God's sake," Lorelai held it up.

"That was Lane's idea," Rory said with a smile.

"A whole village has seen to my needs. Go. It's time. Look, I'm sitting up and everything."

"And you're feeling better, I mean, for real this time?"

"I'm not a hundred percent, but I'm getting there. I swear."

"The downstairs is all set too. I cleaned up. Vacuumed a little, spot dusted. Oh, and I've checked in with Sookie."

"Oh… Good. Now go!"

"Okay. But I am going to call a lot."

"I'm good with that," Lorelai nodded.

"And I only have one class tomorrow, so I could stop by again in the afternoon."

"Well, there'll be no need."

"You can call me, too, you know."

"I know, Mom," Lorelai said with an exaggerated eye roll.

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye, honey."

"And I'm going honk before I leave."

"Why?"

"I don't know, it just sounds fun."

"Okay."

Lorelai watched as Rory left. She turns on the T.V. and flips through some channels before turning it off again. Rory honks out side as she pulls away. Lorelai sighs and slowly slumps back down in bed.

CUT TO: DRAGONFLY INN (IN PROGRESS), AFTERNOON

"Hey, Lorelai?"

Lorelai spun around, gripping her coffee, "Yeah, Tom?"

"The door's should be here Thursday."

Lorelai's whole face lit up, "I am loving you like a two dollar whore!"

"I'll tell the wife."

CUT TO: OUTSIDE OF LUKE'S DINER, NIGHT

Lorelai took a deep breath and pulled her low pony tail over her left shoulder with a pout. It was time. 


End file.
